Direct-channel results are intended for educational and wellness use. The report itself is designed to be readable — the scoring, clinical flags, and methodology references are surfaced in language calibrated for the patient reader. That said, the report is most useful as an input to clinical conversation. We encourage every direct customer to share results with their dentist, physician, or other healthcare provider, who can integrate the data with clinical findings and history.

Kits typically ship within two business days of order, with standard USPS delivery to your address. Collection takes under two minutes. Return shipping is prepaid; we ask that you return your sample within 14 days of collection since the test doesn't use preservatives. Lab analysis takes approximately two weeks from sample receipt, after which results post to your OraPath patient portal account.

The tube is marked for a 1–2 mL collection — most people produce this volume in under two minutes. If you find it difficult, light external massage of the salivary glands (along the cheeks and under the jaw, sweeping forward toward the mouth) for a minute or two encourages saliva flow. Avoid eating, drinking, smoking, or brushing for 30 minutes before collection to keep the sample clean.

The test analyzes bacterial DNA only. Your human DNA is not extracted, sequenced, or retained. OraPath testing is conducted by IMMYLabs, which retains protected health information and the bacterial-DNA detection record in compliance with applicable regulations. Your test data is accessible to you through the patient portal and is not sold, licensed, or used for purposes outside your clinical record.

Yes. Retesting is how the methodology produces its most clinically meaningful signals — the comparison page renders trajectory across visits, pathogen-by-pathogen change, and evolution of clinical flags between time points. Most people who use the Balance Test for ongoing tracking retest at 60–90 day intervals during active intervention, then at 6-month intervals once their results stabilize.

Free shipping on all orders over $40. Returns, replacements, and refunds are processed case-by-case; contact our team for support. The OraPath team takes direct conversations without a qualifying form or sales motion — see the Talk page to schedule.

Same test, same lab, same science. The difference reflects fulfillment, not the diagnostics. Chairside collection happens in your provider's office and the sample ships directly from there. The at-home kit includes the packaging, return shipping, and handling needed to get your sample safely to our Norman lab. You're paying for how the sample reaches us - not for a different or better test.

Allow one lozenge to dissolve fully in the mouth before swallowing. The slow dissolution keeps the strains in the mouth — where the protective oral commensals live — long enough to support colonization. Adults and children twelve and older take one lozenge twice daily; children ages four to eleven take one lozenge once daily. We recommend taking it after brushing, when the mouth is freshly cleaned, but any time of day works.

If you're in a hurry, you can chew the lozenge and swish for thirty seconds or longer. Slow dissolution is more effective, but chewing is acceptable when needed.

Yes. The formula is designed for adults and children four and older. Dosing differs by age: ages twelve and up take one lozenge twice daily; ages four to eleven take one lozenge once daily. The lozenge is gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, non-GMO, and uses naturally derived flavors and sweeteners (low-glycemic).

Probiotic effects accumulate. Most people taking the lozenge consistently begin to notice a difference in oral feel — fresher mouth, less breath odor between brushings — within six to eight weeks. The protective bacterial population takes time to build. Consistency matters more than dose; one lozenge daily over months produces better outcomes than larger doses taken irregularly.

For users pairing the probiotic with the Balance Test, retesting at the 60–90 day mark documents the measurable change in the protective bacterial layer.

They target different populations. A gut probiotic delivers strains designed to survive stomach acid and colonize the digestive tract. The OraPath Oral Probiotic uses strains selected for their behavior in the mouth — particularly the S. salivarius M18 and K12 strains, which produce bacteriocins active against certain periodontal-associated organisms. Most people using both report them as complementary rather than redundant.

Store at room temperature, in a dry location. The cap should be secured after each use. Avoid moisture-prone storage areas — particularly bathroom counters near the shower and inside refrigerators (condensation forms when the bottle is moved between cold and warm). Pillboxes are also not recommended for the same reason.

Use within 30 days of opening for best results. Sealed bottles are shelf-stable to the printed expiration date on the label.

The subscription option ships one bottle every month at $42.50 (15% off the one-time price). You can skip a delivery, change frequency, or cancel anytime through your OraPath account; the subscription auto-renews until you cancel. Free shipping on all orders over $40. Returns, replacements, and refunds are processed case-by-case; contact our team for support.

Yes. The bundle includes one Balance Test (the baseline) and one bottle of the probiotic. The follow-up test at 60–90 days is ordered separately — either through this site at $199, or through a participating provider. Most repeat customers find the cadence settles into one test at the start of an intervention period and one at the end, with the probiotic on a monthly subscription in between.

Yes — we encourage it. Direct-channel results are most useful as an input to clinical conversation. The OraPath patient portal includes a one-click PDF export of the full report and the comparison page, sized to share with a dentist or physician. If your provider is unfamiliar with OraPath, the methodology page documents the panel and the algorithmic decisions in full clinical depth.

Measurable change in the protective bacterial population typically takes 6–8 weeks of consistent use. The bundle is sized for this timing — one bottle is a 30-day supply at the adult dose (two lozenges daily), so a single bottle gets you through about half the interval. We recommend ordering a second bottle (or switching to the subscription option) after the first bottle finishes to maintain the protective effect through the retest window.

The Balance Test is currently unavailable to direct customers in AK, CA, CT, HI, MD, MA, NJ, NY, and RI. The probiotic ships to all fifty states. Customers in restricted states can order the probiotic separately and access OraPath testing through a participating dental or medical provider — our team can help locate a provider in your area.

The bundle ships together: the probiotic bottle and the test kit arrive in the same package. Free shipping on all orders over $40. The test kit is registered and shipped back to the lab by you, on your timeline; the probiotic is yours to start using immediately. Returns, replacements, and refunds are processed case-by-case; contact our team for support.

A simple saliva sample is collected chairside in under two minutes, stabilized at room temperature, and shipped to IMMYLabs. No fasting or special prep is required; collection notes are included in every kit.

Results post to the ordering account within two business days of specimen receipt — the full panel report plus the on-demand Antibiotic Considerations Report, available immediately.

All four panels are ordered through the provider portal, not the consumer shop. Talk to our team to set up your account, kits, and billing — including volume and DSO pricing.

Every panel is a salivary qPCR assay reported on a semi-quantitative log2 Detection Level scale, with organism-specific cutpoints and a transparent scoring model (PRS, PPS, ecological and balance scores). The full methodology is documented and deep-linked from each panel page.

Each organism is reported against calibrated clinical-relevance cutpoints. The 1–5 Periodontal Risk Score, 0–100 Periodontal Pressure Score, and pattern call summarize periodontal risk; caries and balance scores report their own independent axes. The methodology page documents every threshold and rule.

The continuous PPS and the treatment-response comparison page make incremental change visible between visits — before the categorical risk band shifts — supporting longitudinal monitoring and reassessment at recall.

All testing runs in our own high-complexity laboratory, IMMYLabs (CLIA 37D2236199, COLA 32679), under a doctorate-level laboratory director. The tests are validated Laboratory-Developed Tests; they have not been cleared or approved by the FDA.

No. Only the Balance Test is available to individuals, and every at-home result encourages the patient to bring it to a provider — we route by geography to practices that offer OraPath. The direct channel is a front door to clinical care, not a replacement for it.